Text flu-jab reminders a success in Lambeth with 44% patient participation

Using iPLATO’s Patient Care Messaging Dr Masterton & Partners practice in Lambeth has discovered that mobile messaging is the most effective tool for rapid communication with patients about immunisation. In a recent flu-jab campaign the practice administrator identified 152 patients due for a flu jab and sent them a text message requesting them to turn up for immunisation the following day or to decline the flu-jab clinic by reply text message. Within two minutes of sending the practice had received feedback from 32 of the contacted patients. In total 44% of the contacted patients responded to the flu jab campaign either by declining the clinic or by showing up, making it one of the most effective flu jab campaigns ever undertaken by the practice.

“We have been using iPLATO’s Patient Care Messaging for automatic appointment reminders since March 2005, says Adrian James-Morse, the practice IT manager. In this case we used the system’s group mailing feature and the result was remarkable from the surgery’s and our patients’ perspective. The mobile channel offers unparalleled speed in contacting people wherever they may be with a clear and actionable message. Many patients answered the flu-jab reminder with their mobile proving the medium is a two way interaction tool rather than just one-way broadcasting. With other means of communication - letter or calling - this campaign method does not only compare well on speed, communication quality and response rate, it is also cheaper to produce and manage.”

“Dr Masterton & Partners has really done a good job designing a powerful flu-jab campaign using existing features of our text messaging platform says Toby Gockel, Business Development Manager at iPLATO. Looking at the ability for practices to target certain patient groups with up-to-the-second messages really speaks volumes for the platform which is designed to work also at significantly higher messaging volumes as would be the case, for example, in a pandemic. It also puts the GPs firmly in the driver seat in looking after their patients who do not have to rely only on messages from more generic sources such as TV and radio”.

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Notes for Editors:

About iPLATO

iPLATO is a privately owned limited company founded in London in the autumn of 1999. In 2003, iPLATO was awarded a SMART Feasibility Grant by the Department of Trade & Industry to study the feasibility for national implementation of a system to remind outpatients about scheduled appointments using text messaging technology.

Since completing the study, the company has invested substantial resources towards overcoming the barriers to entry of the healthcare market and now provides successful healthcare solutions to NHS organisations throughout the United Kingdom - building a promising business around its flagship service ‘Patient Care Messaging’.

The European Venture Contest, organised by the European Commission, recognised iPLATO as one of the top ten early stage technology ventures ready to “reshape their industry and to conquer the global market” and featured on the Red Herring Europe Top 200 of companies to watch in 2006. iPLATO began 2008 with extensive (PCT funded) roll out of Patient Care Messaging to GP surgeries across 10 Primary Care Trusts.

Press contact:

Julia Hanley
020 3178 4676
julia.hanley@iplato.net
One Lyric Square,   W6 0NB, London, United Kingdom
www.iplato.net 
Pictures available on request